NEWSLETTER

OUR MISSION: To protect and preserve our natural
heritage and help build an environmental culture while developing a
Botanical Garden dedicated to Mexican flora and providing an oasis of
peace and tranquility for all.

Please tell your friends and prospective
members/supporters how to access the newsletter and help broaden the
base of support for the Botanical Garden.

Since mid-July we have colorful and diverse waterfowl, ducks visiting. Most plunge or dive to eat grain, aquatic vegetation, insects, mollusks and worms. They nest on the ground, usually near water, and are most form pairs during the breeding season.

There are about 300 species of ducks in the world, 24 of which are found in North American and of these 12 species visit El Charco. Along with the resident and native species such as Anas acuta, there are yearly migratory species which make the long trip from Alaska, Canada and the United States such as the Anas americana and the Anas crecca looking for the warmer southern climes in the winter and in the summer they return north to reproduce in the temperate zones.

Concern about the ducks grows as pressure on their habitat grows. Fortunately in recent years, hunting has been regulated and there have been efforts to restore wetlands, their main habitat. The process of restoring the wetland at El Charco began 10 years ago and each year we notice new speciies arriving. Don’t miss this marvelous spectacle of winter ducks…they’re here.

The walks are for birders of all levels. They begin at 9:00 am and last about 2 1/2 hours. No reservations needed, and feel free to leave the walk at any time. Please bring binoculars, wear comfortable walking shoes and a hat, and bring water. Your guide will meet you after you pass through the Reception area of the Botanical Garden.

Photo: Anas acuta by Wayne Colony

NEW STAFF MEMBER

We welcome Silvia Rivera who joins us this month. Silvia has collaborated for quite some time with different civil organizations and on community projects in San Miguel and other parts of the country, including in our Botanical Garden which has given her some familiarity with our project. She has good local knowledge and a strong desire to contribute to El Charco’s community project using her expertise in marketing, communication and environmental education. Among her several tasks, Silvia will concentrate on building an effective public relations network and fundraising at a local, national and international level.

BORDER CROSSINGS AND POSADA CORAZÓN

During its 20 years of existence, El Charco has benefitted from the generous support of many people and groups in various ways – helping financially, by volunteering, through their knowledge and experience, or logistically. The latter was provided by our friend, Nely Lorenzo, a San Miguel resident since the 70s, who for many years represented El Charco downtown. Border Crossings has been an information center, a place to buy membership or tickets to events and some of our products. In a silent and prolonged manner, Nely promoted El Charco among the local population. Now Nely is pursuing new ventures in her life and we wish her much good luck and give her our most profound thanks for her years of support.

Starting in December, memberships and tickets to El Charco’s events may be purchased at Posada Corazon, Aldama 9 during regular business hours. Tel: 415 152 0182.

LAND ART IN THE CHARCO

The Botanical Garden invites you to visit and enjoy the selected projects of this second Land Art exhibition. The purpose is to use the landscape of El Charco as the scene for an artistic creation in harmony with the surroundings of the natural reserve and to use natural materials that fit both visually and ecologically with the environment.

All through December you will be able to appreciate the following projects: “Zoom”, Ricardo Caballero and Francisco Mota, “The Tree of Life and Death”, Antonio Guerra, “Hung Dry”, Michael Lambert, “Art from ashes”, Annie Murdock, “Four elements, four directions”, Janelle Pietrzak, “Protected Nature”, Grabriel Ramirez, “Letter to Nature”, Akiko Yasuda, “People as Oneself”, Liliana Zuppini and “Nest of Hope” by Abraham Garcia.

ANNIVERSARY POSTER

Designs by Pedro Friedeberg

As part of the ongoing celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Botanical Garden, a special poster will be available for purchase with designs by the well known Mexican artist, Pedro Friedeberg. The designs, all of them inspired by the flora and fauna of El Charco, were created while the artist lived in San Miguel de Allende and were donated to the Garden as a special support for the conservation project. With the artist’s consent, a new edition poster will be available in the gift shop starting December 5th.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s a great time think about offering a gift that will benefit the conservation project, El Charco del Ingenio and last even longer than a year. For the month of December, we have special offers on membership – $600 pesos for 15 months.

As well, Camino Silvestre has donated a special limited edition of hummingbird feeders especially designed for El Charco on sale at the gift shop for $500 pesos.

Buy the membership at our special offer and a hummingbird feeder for $950 pesos.

Remember – these offers are only valid during the month of December. Don’t miss out. And while you’re in the gift ship, check out all our other wonderful products as holiday gifts as well.

To promote the use of this traditional steam bath, there will be workshops in two modules. Directed to all who would like to learn more about the benefits of this ceremony or those who are interested in leading the ceremony. Program of Module 1: Introduction, Basic History, Concepts of vision and past lives, Sacred Symbolism, Preparation, Contraindications, Before and After the steam bath, Suggestions and Ceremony of Temazcal.

To register it is necessary to pay 50% in advance at the Botanical Garden

We invite everyone to this open celebration that has been taking place for many years during the full moon cycle at the Four Winds Plaza in the Botanical Garden.

We celebrate the Full Moon Ceremony to come back into balance with nature on earth. Come and enthusiastically participate and dedicate your intention and energies at the Plaza of the Four Winds. Bonfire, incense, chanting, drumming included. Bring flutes, cymbals, a drum or any other instrument if you want.

It’s worth arriving a little early to admire the setting of the sun and the appearance of the moon over the mountains. You may want to bring a coat for cool evenings. Children welcome. Any questions, call Alicia Mayo at 152 .0376.

Starting this November, El Charco has decided to lower the price of the temazcal to continue promoting this healing ritual. This sweat-lodge steam bath, of ritual and healing character, takes place under the direction of an experienced temazcal leader in the ruins of the hacienda located in the Botanical Garden on the far side of the reservoir.

The combination of heat, humidity and fragrant herbs provides a purifying experience for the body and spirit. Its benefits are multiple: it activates circulation, increases the body’s defenses, eliminates pains, decreases uric acid, relaxes the muscles, regulates the nervous system, stimulates respiration and is excellent for losing weight.

50% payment required to save a space, you can pay the advance in the Botanical Garden visitor’s center or in Posada Corazon,

GUIDED TOURS

Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am | in English
Duration: two hours | Cost: $80 pesos, members $50

In the month of December, the beautiful landscape of El Charco is further enhanced with exhibits of Land Art – a unique opportunity to appreciate art inspired by nature. Bring your camera.

Photo by Silvia Rivera | Project of Land Art by Janelle Pietrzak

PAST ACTIVITIES OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER

MEMBERSHIP COCKTAIL

El Charco thanks the support of Alfredo Garcia-Lucio and Jim McKeever of Camino Silvestre, Rocio Rios of Posada Corazon, and everyone who came to renew or buy a new membership, all of whom made the cocktail a huge success.

The 24th REUNION OF NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDENS

This important annual conference took place at El Charco from November 8-11, uniting 30 delegates from throughout the Republic of Mexico who centered their discussions on strategies for the conservation of biodiversity in botanical gardens. The visitors also had an opportunity to visit San Miguel de Allende.

Due to the good response we had to the October workshop, we are offering an intense workshop with Master Jose Buenaventura who will teach how to make a diverse gamut of colors using natural dyes made from various plants.

Jose Buenaventura Gonzales is a Zapotec weaver from Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca. As a child he learned the processes of wool: washing, carding, spinning and dying with vegetal products, as well as the warp of the material and the weaving of geometric or circular designs. He cultivates his own cochineal to use, applying the ancient technique of dying, producing diverse dyes and tones using plants such as the pomegranate, black zapote and walnut, among others. Jose actively works to promote and spread the traditional culture of the Zapotecas. He has given various workshop of cultivation and dying with the cochineal and other plants throughout the country and in the United States, always emphasizing the importance of an environmental culture and using organic materials and vegetable dyes.

We invite you to enjoy a delicious breakfast in the Cafe at El Charco. How about a delectable vegetarian omelet with a rich coffee?

Also, for this time when we exchange gifts with our dear ones, we have prepared an ideal and sustainable gift: a beautiful bag made by a San Miguel artisan, Ramon Aguilar, that has a plant propagated in the Botanical Garden, the Echinocactus grusonii, commonly known as golden barrel cactus, as well as a branch of cardon. It's an excellent gift for yourself or someone else that also supports our local artists.